The days of the politically correct athlete may be dying as players are now feeling more and more empowered. Kevin Durant is a perfect example of this change.
Durant says he used to give all the answers to the media that they wanted to hear and that he was coached to say, but he says he is through with that. On Friday, Durant said the media had too much power in selecting postseason awards. On Sunday he went off on the media even more.
“You guys really don’t know (expletive),” Durant said via Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. “To be honest, man, I’m only here talking to y’all because I have to. So I really don’t care. Y’all not my friends. You’re going to write what you want to write. You’re going to love us one day and hate us the next. That’s a part of it. So I just learn how to deal with y’all.”
Durant’s answers can be the result of a few things. For one, the All-Star Game has so many credentialed reporters, it really is an uncontrolled environment filled with people who do not know what they are doing. That means lots of inexperienced, dumb reporters are asking questions. It’s no wonder athletes would get frustrated. Two, Durant is probably realizing that he does not have to play by the rules anymore and that he can really be true to himself. If he wants to state his opinion, he is going to now. Lastly, he is probably frustrated overall. He is frustrated he hasn’t won a championship yet, he is frustrated that injuries have slowed him, and he is frustrated with questions about whether or not he is a deserving All-Star.
This quote from Durant is really telling.
“I’m 26 years old so I’m in my mid-20s, almost to 30,” Durant said via Mayberry. “My first few years in the league I was just finding myself. I think most of the time I reacted based off of what everybody else wanted and how they viewed me as a person. And I’m just learning to be myself and not worry about what anybody says. I’m going to make mistakes. I just want to show kids out here that athletes, entertainers, whoever, so-called celebrities, we aren’t robots. We go through emotions. We go through feelings. And I’m just trying to express mine and trying to help people along the way. But I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I’m just this guy that got programmed to say the right stuff all the time and politically correct answers. I’m done with that. I’m just trying to be me and continue to grow as a man.”
Between LeBron expressing his feelings, controlling his contracts, and people like Marshawn Lynch refusing to play by the media’s rules, we are seeing a changing landscape in this regard. Though I still believe Durant will brighten up once he starts having more success on the court again.
